Leon Parker

Leon Parker has been keeping busy since he returned to the United States a few years ago, having previously spent about two decades abroad in France—during which time he rarely performed or recorded. Now the 54-year-old drummer, who came to prominence in mid-’90s New York for his pared-down style, is active in a number of groups, particularly with Brad Mehldau, Peter Bernstein, and Aaron Goldberg.

Parker himself hasn’t released an album under his own name since 2001, but he is currently at work on a new release that he plans to put out at the beginning of next year, featuring contributions, he says, from Joshua Redman, Mark Turner, and Cécile McLorin Salvant.

Though he is now stateside, Parker still lives a monastic existence. He doesn’t own a cellphone, and he doesn’t appear to have a fixed residence. His drum setup is minimal too: ride, snare, bass, two toms (and no hi-hat). Parker feels that being away from the scene for a while has given him fresh perspective. “I’m not proving myself on the drum set,” he told me during a recent interview in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. “When I was younger, I had to do that.”

In late August, Parker sat for his first Before & After listening session. The conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, veered all over the place, from stick work to astrology.

1. Joshua Redman

“Sweet Sorrow” (, Warner Bros.). Redman, tenor and soprano saxophone; Brad Mehldau, piano;